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Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics) -- December 15, 1999 -- Volume 60, Issue 23 pp. 16073-16077

Supermatrix approach to polarized neutron reflectivity from arbitrary spin structures

A. Rühm

Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany

B. P. Toperverg

Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, St. Petersburg 188350, Russia

H. Dosch

Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Universität Stuttgart, Institut für Theoretische und Angewandte Physik, D–70550 Stuttgart, Germany

(Received 19 May 1999)

The general equation for polarized neutron reflectivity is derived and presented in an invariant vector form that is independent of the selection of a specific coordinate system. Using this representation the reflectivity may easily and thoroughly be analyzed for arbitrary orientation of the sample, the incident beam polarization, and the direction of polarization analysis. It is shown that the complete information that can be extracted from experimental data by a detailed polarization analysis is given by the following quantities: the two complex eigenvalues of the reflectance matrix and a complex vector defining a direction that coincides with the direction of the magnetizations in a collinear magnetization arrangement, but depends on the momentum transfer in the general noncollinear case. A supermatrix formalism is developed and illustrated that allows us to calculate these parameters for multilayers with arbitrary mutual orientation of the magnetizations in individual layers. Our approach opens an alternative way to a complete and unambiguous characterization of artificial magnetic structures of high complexity. ©1999 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRB/v60/p16073
PACS: 61.12.Ha, 75.70.-i, 68.65.+g, 02.60.Ed        Additional Information

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Citing Articles

1. Spin-resolved off-specular neutron scattering maps from magnetic multilayers using a polarized ³He gas spin filter
   B. Nickel et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 72, 163 (2001)